Isn't it funny how perspectives change?

For example, I was at one time an Education Major but the farther into it I went, the less I wanted to teach. They were sucking all of the creativity out of teaching. I honestly thought that within a few years, a teacher would have to read a script, such as the ones they read when you went into the cafeteria for the yearly achievement tests. Remember those?

As I got older, I kept an interest in Education and Schools, and was annoyed by many developments. One of them that I really laughed at was that some idiot in the Education System noticed that a lot of people didn't do well on SAT tests. So, to increase the scores of students taking the SAT, what did he propose? Oh, nothing like, I don't know, maybe raising the standards of the classes? Holding students back that didn't make the necessary grades to move on to the next grade? Nope, nothing that simple. He wanted to lower the grading scale for the SAT. That way more people would pass...

I heard yesterday that some people have decided that holding a child back because he hasn't mastered the required subjects is a very bad thing. These brain surgeons decided that what the Schools should do is not only promote little Johnny to the next grade but also include 'intense remedial' classes so he pass the last grade. Think about that for a second, and if anyone thinks that is a good idea, please leave a comment for me, because I don't get it.

These people mean that even though little Johnny couldn't master the subjects in fourth grade, they think he can master what he is being taught in fifth grade but also at the same time sufficiently master the fourth grade curriculum? So, he couldn't handle fourth grade, but if we shove fourth and fifth grade to him, he'll be fine? I see.

I fear for my stepdaughter's education. She just started the third grade and she is in the gifted program and does extremely well. However, with illogical ideas such as that, I won't be too suprised if I get a letter saying that because she had gifted classes she can't graduate. That would make as much sense as a lot of ideas we get these days from the Florida Dept. of Education.

  ¶ 1:58 PM